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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

" And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your hands, as

we commanded you" 1 Thessalonians 4:11

She came home and we were sitting and talking about married life and living away.
She said, "the hardest part mom is the quiet. My thoughts are everywhere.
I can't even sit to read a book because it's too quiet".

Her ears still ringing from the household of many.

As part of my job of teaching and preparing my children for life after

their few years with us I never really thought to teach them to be quiet.....

until I saw that verse and heard her words.

Is it really something that must be studied and taught? how hard can the quiet be?

It's loud here and with 8 kids and 4 dogs on this farm, the noise is a constant

in our ear. We get used to it and we work around it. My brain not really shutting down

until night time and then I have to have a noise machine to sleep by.

More noise to be able to sleep.

I run interferes as I hear the noise getting louder or if I hear harsh tones to the noise.

but I never stopped to think what is all this clamoring?

Our farm holds a beautiful pond and every year the frogs start singing

about this time and their singing is loud, you can't carry on a conversation outside, you can't

hear yourself think. Sort of like our home. The loud voices drowning out the still small voice of

a Father who wants my children to study and learn to be quiet so that the noise of this life

won't keep them away from Him.

Being in a big family does not mean we don't have to learn this.

It's just harder.

So I started implementing a time of quiet to my daily teaching.

A time to be still

A time to hear yourself think

A time to journal

A time to imagine

A time to deal with your feelings

A time to dream

A time to be yourself and not compete in the big family race

of who can say more and who can say it faster.

Who can be the loudest and who can draw the most attention

I must admit this has been hard for me

My thoughts never letting me truly just meditate on the Lord.

My to-do list running through my mind.

I guess that's why the verse says "study to be quiet".

I literally have to step out on the farm and walk the path that no one is on

and I still find myself talking to myself or to God.

I long for quiet; stillness.

The place where my brain is able to shut off so I can hear His voice.

In the midst of raising lots of children I have lost my ability to shut my mind and thoughts

down. It come in handy as I've multi-tasked my days but now it's harder to learn.

I wish someone would have told me to teach my

children the art of quietness and the beauty it holds.

Now I'm having to break habits and that's always harder.

Being alone with yourself and your thoughts and your Savior is a gift

that we give up everyday for lots of words that literally add up to nothing.

The quietness and the mediating heart that thinks of it's savior

will change your children and yourself.

Study and shut your house down for at least an hour a day.

No talking, no phones, no texting, no music, no books.

Just you looking to God to show you the art of being still in His presence.

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

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"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day, I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return."